Tehran University of Medical Sciences

Science Communicator Platform

Stay connected! Follow us on X network (Twitter):
Share this content! On (X network) By
Investigation of Psychosocial Factors on Upper Limb Musculoskeletal Disorders and the Prevalence of Its Musculoskeletal Disorders Among Nurses: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis Publisher Pubmed



Zare A1 ; Choobineh A2 ; Hassanipour S3 ; Malakoutikhah M4
Authors
Show Affiliations
Authors Affiliations
  1. 1. Department of Occupational Health Engineering, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
  2. 2. Research Center for Health Sciences, Institute of Health, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran
  3. 3. Gastrointestinal and Liver Diseases Research Centre (GLDRC), Guilan University of Medical Sciences, Rasht, Iran
  4. 4. Department of Occupational Health Engineering, Student Research Committee, School of Public Health, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran

Source: International Archives of Occupational and Environmental Health Published:2021


Abstract

Objective: Musculoskeletal disorders are one of the most important occupational problems especially among nurses. The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence of musculoskeletal disorders in upper limbs and its associated psychosocial factors in the workplace. Methods: A systematic review was conducted by searching the Medline/PubMed, EMBASE, Scopus, ISI/web of knowledge and Google Scholar databases. The authors classified studies into categories of psychological work stressors and musculoskeletal problems. The statistical analysis was performed using Stata software. Results: We found 1742 articles in our initial search. After reviewing the titles, abstracts and full texts, 66 articles were finally analyzed. Psychosocial factors affecting the prevalence of upper limb musculoskeletal disorders among nurses were identified which included boring work, inadequate staffing, job demands, insufficient support, time pressure, decision latitude, job dissatisfaction, and job stress. There was a significant relationship between these factors and prevalence of musculoskeletal disorders in the wrists, shoulders, neck and shoulders, and wrists and hands. Conclusion: Collectively, the results of this study provide strong evidence of some psychosocial factors affecting the prevalence of upper limb musculoskeletal disorders among nurses. Thus, organizational interventions to minimize these stressors may be promising in reducing one risk factor for the development of nurses’ musculoskeletal disorders. These interventions should not only consider the factors of physical ergonomics but also seek to improve the organizational aspects of the workplace. © 2021, The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH, DE part of Springer Nature.